Apparatus for removing hulls from grain.



G. E. HENRI. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING HULLS FROM GRAIN. APPLICATION FILEDJULY 3. 1907.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 6 7 7 7 3 7 74 H 6 H Huun H t 4 7 o a w 7 7 3 4 Q d V m0 f r A Z ll V M 7 0 a 3 E o INVENTOR. George Ellznry.

ATTORNEY.

- "WITNESSES:

W Wf

G. E. HENRY.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING HULLS FROM GRAIN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1907.

938,328., Patented 0011.26, 1909.

3 BHEETSSHEET 2.

IN VENTOR.

George E. Henry.

WITNESSES:

A TTORN E Y.

. G. E. HENRY. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING HULLS FROM GRAIN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. 1967. 938,323 Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Fig-3- u- H I ,2 8888?:

I 8 88 00 2 7 ooooo j WITNESSES: INVEN TOR. W777. m. George Elicnry.

ATTORNEY.

i To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES. PATENT our-Ion..-

GEORGE E. HENRY, OF VINCENNES, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO BENJAMING, HUDNUT, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA. Y

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING HULLS FROM GRAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 8, 1907; Serial No. 382,013. 6

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HENRY, of Vincennes, county of Knox, andState of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Apparatus forRemoving Hulls from Grain; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and-exact description thereof,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numeralsrefer to like parts.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating corn, wheat and othercereals with the object of removing the outside skin, covering or hull,in preparing the grain for use in the various arts.

The chief object of the invention is to remove the outer covering,skinbr hull from the kernels of grain without breaking, crushing orotherwise injuring the kernels; also to be able to treat relativelylarge quantities of grain in relatively short periods of time.

In removing the outer skin, covering" or hull by mechanism heretoforeemployed the grain has been subjected to friction, grinding orbruising,@ whereby the kernel was broken, crushed and otherwisemutilated, thereby injuring the same in appearance,

texture and otherwise dis ualifying it for use in preparing so-calle Theobject of this invention is to avoidthe diificulty mentioned and reducethe cost of such treatment of ain. i

The full nature of this invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a transverse section of the mechanismshowing some parts in side elevation and parts broken away. Fig. 2 is arear elevation of the mechanism, with parts broken away. Fi 3 1s acentral vertical section 11011551 the two-chambered vat or receptacleand its outlet and valves for controlling it. Fig. 4 is a substantiallyhorizontal section on the line 44 of Fig." 1. Fig. 5 is asideelevationof the cam wheel shaft in section.

The corn, wheat or other grain is shelled, threshed or otherwise reducedto .free. grain before it is introduced into this apparatus. Inthatjformit enters the conveyer trough 10, which is partiallycylindrical in cross sectlon and has in its bottom a screw conveyer lldriven by the pulley 12. This trough is steamjacket 16 embraces thesides and bot tom of said trough 10 and steam is supplied theretothrough the steam pipe 17 leading through some suitable source ofsupply. A drain pipe 18 leads from the lower part of said steam jacket.The outlet 19 from said Patented Oct. 2c, 1909.

trough 10 is closed by the slide valve 20 opcrating in the valve casing21. Since. the trough 10 is filled with hot water and the grain, theaction of the conveyer thoroughly mixes the same, thereby thoroughlysoaking the grain in the hot water. The temperature should always bebelow a cooking temperature and otherwise such as is best adapted forthe particular grain being treated, that being dependent upon thecondition and age of the grain.- The grain is introduced intotheconveyer trough through the spout 23 so that it will travel the lengthof the trough, during which movement the grain is suitably soaked andraised to the desired temperature. The temperature of the water andgrain in the trough is maintained by the steam jacket 16. After thegrain is thus treated and has reached the dischar e end of the trough,it is discharged therefrom by the opening of the valve20 and the actionpf the conveyer. The mixed and heated grain and waterdischarged from theconveyer trough l0 falls into the inner chamber 26 of a twochambered vator receptacle belowconsisting of said inner chamber 26 and an outerchamber 27 surrounding the inner chamber. The walls of the inner chamber26 are perforated so as to make the same pervious to water butimpervious to the kernels of corn, thus acting as a strainer forseparating the water from the grain, the water passing therefrom intothe 'outerrchamber. The dimensions of the outer chamber are preferablyproportionately' greater with referenceto the dimensions of the innerchamber, andI-find in practice that the dimensions of the, outer chambershould be atleast twice the capacity of the'inner chamber in order thattheremay grain in this part of the mechanism. A vent pipe 28 extendsupward from the upper part be always at least twice asxmuch .water hasrator, whereby the grains after being h outlet is controlled by a slidevalve operat' in the valve casing 31. It 1s seen, therefdre, that thepurpose of the part of the mechanism is to measure rather accurately thecharge of grain for the sepa-- rator below. Hence, it is necessary totemporarily separate the water from the gram so as to measure the grainand predetermine the desired amount of grain to discharge below into theseparator, for the chief object of 'the separator herein is to removethe hulls by the friction of the water moving in the separator engagingwith the hulls and.

grains and without the hulls and grains striking against any hard partsof the se :i are whole. It is desirable that not too much grain beadmitted at any one time into the separator for then the grain would begroimd against the-d1=um or wall of the separator and be broken. Hence,the grain is measured in the perforated chamber 26 while temporarilyseparated fromthe water and therefore the full charge of grain and thewater in said measuring tank are discharged j into the separator below.The water and grain pass then through the Spent 32 into 7 the hopper 33which is mounted upon the separator casing 34. The separator consistssiderably less diameter than the casin is secured upon the perpendicularshe with a large number of radially of the casing 34 forming a chamberor vat in the form of a truncated cone with the upper end 1n openconnection with the hopper and with the lower end closed. The

se arator casing 34 is mounted upon the top' '0 the stand 35.

Within the separator casing 34a drum 36, m the form of a truncated conebut of con- 37. This shaft 1s mounted at its lower end .on the top ofthe stand 35 and in suitable bearings at its up r end on the cross beam38. It is driven y the ulley 39 at the top. The surface of the 511m 36is provided rojecting fingers or stirrers 40. The hea e of water andgrain, when discharged into the separator occupies the largespace'between thedrum 36 and the wall 34 and it 50 is violently agitatedand driven in a rotatmg motion by the action of the drum and st thereof,until the mixture .18 thrown practlcally mto the form of a rapidlyrevolving fluid cone between the drum an separator wall. This treatmentof the mixture thoroqfillzl, stri and cleans the d l om f th t1 .uetoesoeagencyo eviolen ya gatedbbody of water and wit'hfiut aliliy frilon"orgrindmg' cute I in is tliusfrom all outer skinor h the entire body ofwater, grain and freed hulls is quickly by the opening of the properlytimed slide valve 45 that is vertically in .the valve casing 46 at oneIt is desirable that they hold the water in the receptacles above t emlong' e kernel which side of the lower part of the separator casing .34,as shown. in Fig. 4. The mixture then passes through the spout 47 into aconve er.trough 48. This trough is partially cy drical in cross sectionand the walls thereof are perforated to allow the water to drain offinto the outer trough 49 and leave solids in the trough 48. The solidsare conveyed in said trough by the screw conveyer 50 throughout thelength of the trough 48, so that there is an effectual removal of thefluids.' The lighter hulls and bran will also pass from the grain withthe water into the outer trough. :At the discharge ends of said troughs48 and 49 the material thereand 52.

In the operation of this device the various slide valves 20, 30 and 45are timed in their action and in their sequence of movement. ain andenough to permit the proper treatment and it is also desirable that areceptacle be emptied before the grain andwater are discharged into itfrom the receptacle above. Hence, it is preferablethat the lower valveopen first, the middle valve next and the u per .valve last. It is alsodesirable that t ese valves be quickl opened and quickly closed and thatthey kept closed for a much longer period of time than open. This valveactlon 1s accomplished by a single actuating and controlling means. Onthe stand 60 there is a. drivm shaft 61 which carries a cam wheel 62.his cam wheel is provided with two cam grooves in itsv faces, the

in is discharged respectively into tanks 51 groove 64 on one side andthe groove 65 on the other side. Each of these cam ooves consistschiefly of a portion concentrlc with the axis. of the cam wheel forholding the valve closed and at one point the groove extends outwardsharply toward the periphcry of the cam wheel to form a int 66 forcausin the sudden opening an? closing of the va ve. The outwardlyextending points of these cam grooves are arranged in a certain relationwith each other so that they will bring about the desired sequence ofopening movement of the valves. To this end the space on the peripher ofthe cam wheel between the outwar y extending ints ofeach pair of camgrooves is about one-third of the circumference of the wheel.

the bell crank 77 mounted on the upright 73 and the other end of saidbell crankis connected with the middle valve 30 by the con nection 78.The cam groove 65 on the other side of the cam wheel actuates a'lever 8Ofulcrumed at 81 on the upright 73 and connected with the lower valve 45by the con nection 82. An upright 83 constitutes'a part of the framework for supporting the various parts. The levers 70 and 77 are mountedrelatively so that the point of the groove 64 will actuate lever 77about a third of a revolution before it actuates lever 70. It is thusseen that each valve will be held closed during the far greaterrevolution of the cam wheel and that the lower valve will be openedfirst for the discharge of the material relative quantities of from theseparator is opened for discharging material from the measuring deviceinto the separator, and the middle valve will be opened before the uppervalve is opened for discharging the material from the hot water treatingmechanism into the measuring device. This will cause each chamber to beemptied before it is subsequently filled. I

at I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.In apparatus for removing hulls and the like from cereals, means formeasuring the charge of grain and proportioning the water and grainthere.- in comprising an outer shell to form a water chamber with anoutlet at the lower end thereof, an inner shell forming a grain chamberopen atthe upper end to, receive the grain and water and open at thelower end over the discharge from the water chamber and perforated so asto permit the partial separation of water from the grain, a valve forclosing the upper'end of the inner shell, and a valve for closing thelower end of the outer shell, substantially as set forth.

2. In apparatus for removing hulls and the like. from' cereals, meansfor mixing water and thegrain for softening the hulls thereof, a valvefor opening and closing the outlet from said heating and softeningmeans, a perforated chamber below said outlet for receiving the grainand water, a water chamber surrounding said grain reopening the outletand means for operating sa1d valves succesbefore the, middle valveceiving chamber, a valve for closing and from sa1d water chamber,

sively, substantially as set forth. 3. In apparatus for removing hullsand the like from softened cereals, a vertically disposed cylindricaltank with a smooth internal surface in which the softened grain andwater may be introduced at the top, a vertically disposed revolvin drumcentrally mounted in said tank, sairl drum tapering upwardly and withmeans on its surface for causing a swirling movement of the water andgrain as the drum revolves, said tank and drum bein provided with arelatively large chamber hetween the drum and tank surface for the freemovement of the grain and water, whereby the kernels of the grain willnot be mashed or broken, means for discharging a certain amount ofsoftened grain into the upper end ofsaid tank, and a valve conltrolledoutlet at the lower end of said tan r.

4c. In apparatus for removing hulls and the like from cereals, thecombination of a water treating mechanism, means into which the waterand grain are discharged therefrom for measuring the charge of grain andproportioning the relative quantities of hot water and grain, avertically disposed cylindrical tank in position to receive the measuredcharges of grain and water, a vertically disposed drum centrally mountedin said tank, said drum tapering upwardly and with means on its surfacefor causing a slow water and grain when the drum is revolved, a valvefor controlling the discharge of the grain and water from said measuringmechanismand said tank, means for operating said valve intermittentlysubstantially as set forth, and a hull means into which said charge ofgrain is dishharged from said vertically disposed tan In witnesswhereof, I have hereunto afmy signature in the presence of the witnessesherein named.

GEORGE E. HENRY. Witnesses C. B. KESSINGER, C. E. DAILEY.

movement of the separating

